On August 12, 2552, the UNSC attacked the Covenant landing zone, destroying a Covenant Spire in the process. Subsequently, the UNSC strike force was forced to retreat when the fleet's flagship, the CSO-class supercarrierLong Night of Solace, was revealed to be holding position over the planet, having been cloaked by the Spires.[6] The UNSC on Reach, with little help until the arrival of reinforcements from elsewhere in the Epsilon Eridani system, derived an operation to destroy the supercarrier.[7]

Operation: UPPER CUT, created by Catherine-B320, was initiated on August 14, 2552, in an effort to destroy the supercarrier. After the capture of Ardent Prayer, a makeshift "slipspace bomb" was activated, destroying Long Night of Solace. Though the fleet's flagship had been destroyed, the immediate arrival of another, larger Covenant Fleet turned the tide of the battle in the Covenant's favor.[7]